Meaning & use
khameez
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Meaning
nouncountable
A long loose shirt or tunic worn by men and women in South Asia and parts of the Middle East.
Grammar: Countable: say a khameez or two khameezes; it is often worn with matching loose trousers.
Patterns
- wear a khameez
- a cotton khameez
- a khameez and shalwar
He wore a white khameez to the Friday prayers.
She bought a bright green khameez for her cousin's wedding.
Traditional dress here is a long khameez over loose trousers.
Word forms
| plural | khameezes |
|---|
Common combinations
- a cotton khameez
- In summer he prefers a light cotton khameez.
- wear a khameez
- Guests were asked to wear a khameez or another modest outfit.
- a khameez and shalwar
- She changed into a khameez and shalwar before the family dinner.
- an embroidered khameez
- The bridegroom's embroidered khameez took weeks to make.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tunic
- A general word for any loose hip-length top; use tunic when you are not referring specifically to South Asian dress.
- kurta
- Very close in meaning, but kurta is the more usual word in India and Pakistan, while khameez is common in Urdu-influenced and Gulf usage.
- shirt
- An everyday Western garment with buttons and a collar; a khameez is longer, looser and usually collarless.
Word family
- shalwar khameez noun
- The matching outfit of a khameez worn with loose trousers (shalwar).
Commonly confused: khameez or chemise? khameez or kaftan?
khameez vs chemise
A chemise is a woman's loose undergarment or a simple dress, and it sounds similar, but it is a different garment.
khameez vs kaftan
A kaftan is also a long loose robe, but it is associated with North Africa and the Middle East rather than South Asia, and often has wide sleeves.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'khameez' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A khameez is a long loose shirt or tunic, so 'wore a long white khameez' fits. Option 0 confuses it with a scarf, option 2 treats it as a vehicle, and option 3 is an odd, unlikely action for a garment.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “khameez”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.